Apparatus for treating yarn packages with fluids



p 1948- w. A. MULLIGAN r AL 1 APPARATUS FOR TREATING YARN PACKAGES WITH FLUIDS Filed DEC. 2, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l Arrow) p 1948- w. A. MULLIGAN 'ETAL 2,439,314

APPARATUS FQR TREATING YARN PACKAGES WITH FLUIDS Filed D00. 2, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

0 Amalia y M a Patented Apr. 6, 1948 APPARATUS FOR TREATING YARN PACKAGES WITH FLUIDS Wayne A. Mulligan, New Hartford, N.

of Delaware Rayon Corporation, Utica, N. Y., a corporation Utica, and William Kernan, assignors' to Skenandoa Application December 2, 1944, Serial No. 566,374

2 Claims. (CL 68-189) Our present invention relates to the processing of yarn packages, particularly rayon yarn packages, by the cake finishing method as it is generally taught in United States patents to Gordon,

Jr., No. 1,973,953, granted September 18, 1934,

' and Gordon, Jr., et al., No. 2,002,481, granted May 21, 1935. i

In accordance with these patents, it has been customary, once the annular cake or package of yarn has been built up in the usual cake spinning process. first to cover this package with a knitted or other expansible fabric jacket or possibly merely to wind twine or string around the yarn package to prevent dislodgment of theyarn therein during thesubsequent washing and liquid treating processes, so as to prevent possible interference by dislodgment or misplacing of the yarn with the subsequent unwinding operation. Such displacement of the yarn from its original position in the spun cake by the action of the processing liquid or liquids is a. usual and undesired consequence. This is to a large extent if not completely overcome by placing cloth jackets around each cake or yarn package, the process of washing and otherwise liquid treating the yarn packages being then conducted with the yarn packages in suitable buckets or on trays or mandrels. The use of such a protective covering or jacket is quite expensive as it involves a considerable amount of extra handling, which increases the labor cost and time necessary for manufacturing the yarn. It has, therefore, been for some time considered desirable to find some way of avoiding this jacketing of the yarncakes or packages.

We have found that a main cause of displacement of the thread layers is due to the suction or vacuum created when the treating liquid, which has been flowing through the yarn packages in a generally outward direction, is stopped 2 the creation of a vacuumu'pon the draining of a treating liquid from the interior'of a yarn package or stack of yarn packages may be substantially, if not wholly, prevented.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of simplified means for holding yarn packages in a stack, with or without jackets, v

in such manner that the yarn packages of the stack may be treated with liquid in accordance with the prior practice as set forth in the patents above referred to, the treating liquid being constrained to flow outwardly through the yarn of the packages during the treating operation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide various selectively usable and operative means for admitting air to the interior of the yarn packages upon the draining of the liquid therefrom, so as to prevent the creation of any substantial vacuum therein. specifically by providing various check valve devices which may not be per se new, but which are usable and useful in the particular relation in which we now propose to employ them. We have found that by the and the liquid is allowed to drain from the interior of the yarn packages. It has, for example,

been customary in practicenot only to jacket the cakes individually as aforesaid, but also to place therein perforated protective inserts as tubes or collars, usually of rubber. This also involves additional labor costs and is time conpractical use of thisinvention in the commercial manufacture of rayon yarn, superior results are obtained in respect to those attainable in accordance with the prior art teachings.

Otherand more specific objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following, specification and appended claims, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view, principally in central vertical section, showing a stack of yarn packages and the means by which they are held in position for the liquid treating operations and illustrating one form of our present invention associated therewith;

' Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a further modification;

Fig. 4 is afragmentary view on an enlarged scale, principally in plan and in part in horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, illustrating the 1 air inlet means of a closure for a stack of yarn suming in the manufacturing 1 operation. We

have found that the present inventiontends to prevent the undesired e'if'ects of the vacuum, and

to obviate the previous requirement for use of protective collars or inserts and the jacketing of the cakes.

A primary object of the present invention,

therefore, is to provide an apparatus by which packages in accordance with the present invention; and l 1 Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary views all sub: stantially in central vertical section illustrating on an enlarged scale different or check valve means for the introduction of air into the interior of a ya'mpackage or stack of such yarn packages to prevent the creation of any substantial vacuum therein.

. 3 Referring first to Fig. 1, wherein there is illustrated a stack of rayon-yarn packages in-buckets in a position for thewashing and bleaching-or other liquid treating operations, we have chosen to show the application of our invention to apparatus substantially the same as that particularly disclosed in Fig. '1 of the Gordon, Jr., Patent No. 1,973,953 above referred to. The structure shown comprises a carrier including a base member i adapted to support a stack, here shown as four buckets, each generally indicated at 2. Each bucket is adapted to hold an annular rayon cake or yarn package 3. As shown, each bucket comprises a base member 4 and an annular, downwardly tapering side wall member 5, which may be secured to the base member 4 in any suitable .marinen, The upper portion of the side wall member 5 is formed as shown at 5 to provide a seat for the base member 4 of the next higher bucket. The side wall member 5 of each bucket is provided with a "plurality of, perforations 1. Each of the base members 4 has a central aperture 8 therein. Through these apertures 8, which are aligned when the buckets 2 are stacked as shown, extends a central .tubular member 9, which is of a length corresponding to the height of the entire stack and which is provided with a plurality of holes or perforations II. If desired, the tube 9 may be omitted. The uppermost bucket 2 of the stack has seated in the portion 6 thereof, a suitable closure I I, which is provided with a lug l2 pivoted at It to one arm I! of a securing bracket. It will be understood that ,this bracket has at least two arms N as shown, which are. preferably symmetrically arranged. The central portion of the bracket is formed as an annular hub I5 to receive therethrough a rod it, which is secured asby threading at H to the base or carrier I and is provided with a suitable compressing means as a wing nut In this way the stack may be rigidly held in position by tightening the nut It, thus moving the bracket ll-l5 downwardly and applying a downward force on the closure M. This force effective on the stack of buckets is carried by the sides and bottoms of the buckets and not to any substantial extent by the yarn packages therein, so as not to distort the yarn due to the securing of the parts in the relation shown in Fig. 1.

Also as shown in Fig. 1 each yarn package 3 is provided with a surrounding jacket l5, although this jacket may sometimes be omitted when the principles of our present invention are employed. Means areprovided at various points along the path of movement of the support I and the stack of yarn packages carried thereby for supplying to the interior of these stacks various treating liquides including-wash water, bleach, etc., the details of which form no part of the present invention. As shown, such means comprises here a header 20 havinga passage 2i therein through which a treating liquid may be supplied to the stack of yarn packages above described. For this purpose the base member i has an aperture 22 adapted to be in vertical alignment with the central portion of the annular space within the yarn packages and preferably concentric with the tubular member 9. Thus treating liquid will be admitted through the passage 2! and the aperture 22 to the interior of the tubular mem-' bet 9 and passes thence through the holes or perforations iii to the interior space of each of the annularyarn packages. This treating liquid 4 will be constrained to flow outwardly through the yarn packages by reason of the closure H at the upper end of the stack thereof, so that the liquid flows through the yarn and thence through the perforations 1 in the side wall members 5 of the buckets and then drains to a suitable place beneath that portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Fig. 2, we have shown in somewhat morediagrammatic form a modified structure corresponding generally in function and operation to that shown in Fig. 1. In this view, however, the base member generally indicated at 23 includes in its structure, means cor-' responding both to the base I and to-the liquid header 20 with the passages therein. ber includes a, liquid passage 24 communicating with an aperture 25 in the upper wall thereof, which is in vertical alignment with other passages or holes 25 through the several plate-like members or trays 21 by which the yarn packages supported and separated from one another by spacer members 28, so that when pressure is applied by the wing nut 18 threaded on the upper end of the rod It in the manner previously described, this pressure will beinitially received by an upper plate or closure member 29 and thence transmitted to the base member 23 through the several spacer members 28 and trays 21 rather than through the yarn packages. The operation will be substantially the same as that for Fig. 1 with the exception of certain details for preventing the creation of a vacuum hereinafter to be described in respect to both forms.

In Fig. 3'we have shown a further embodiment of our invention, which is similar to many respect's to those previously described and wherein the same reference characters are used to designate corresponding parts. Here, however, the yarn packages 3 are shown without the jackets 19 which are illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. As shown in this figure, the yarn packages 3 are respectively supported upon annular plates or trays 30., each of which has a central hole 3| defined by a downwardly extending flange 32. Surrounding and positioned by the flanges 32 are short tubular spacing members 33, each of which by which upon the cessation of the application of treating liquid tothe interior of the one or more'yarn packages being treated and upon the draining of the liquid from such interior of the annular yarn package or packages, the creation of any substantial vacuum will be prevented inside the yarn package, which vacuum in practice tends to dis'arrange the yarn in the cake or yarn package and hence tends to interfere with the proper unwinding thereof, which is done in a subsequent stage in the manufacture of yarn.

For this purpose we have shown various forms of our invention, the simplest of which is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4. As shown, the member 29 which forms the upper closure for the stack 1 or packages is provided with several holes 35, which may be of such sizeand number-as may be found by experience to be desirable and which extend through the upper closure. During the supplying of liquid to the interior portion or the stack of yarn packages, some liquid will flow outwardly through these holes ll, but this amount of fluid thus lost from eflective use is relatively small and depends, of course, upon the size 1 the holes 35 and may in certain cases not be so great as to introduce an undesired pumping cost for the liquid. It is understood, of course, that in.

the usual process, this. liquid is re-circulated so that there is, in fact, no loss of the liquid itself and the pumping cost only is increased by the flow of a part of the liquid through the holes 38. If desired, and inorder to prevent liquid from being forceably ejected upwardly from the stack of yarn packages to an undesired extent. there may be provided a stud ll secured to the closure 29 in any suitable way as by a screw II and carrying at its upper end a shield is (Figs. 2 and 4) We prefer, howevento provide some form of arsenic 6 her It forming a valve seat II surrounding a I passage 46 therethrough, which is aligned with the passage 4!. Associated with this valve seat is a valve member generally indicated at ll having a suitable gasket ll for cooperation with the valve seat 4.5, the valve member 41 being pivoted at 40 to the member II. The member ll adds-- cent to the pivot 19 is formed as shown to pro- .vide a limited movement only for the valve 4'1 as indicated by comparison between the full and dotted line positions thereof shown in the draw-, ing. Thus the valve 41 may move but a slight distance oil its seat under the influence of gravity upon the draining ofiiquid from the lnterior of a check valve associated with the hole or holes through the upper closure of the yarn package or stack of yarn packages shown in the several figures. A simple form of such check valve and the one which is presently preferred is that illustrated in Figs. 1. 3 and 5 and comprises a sheet of flexible material '39. In accordance with this form of our invention there may be provided a plurality of holes as previously. described.

which nholes are preferably arranged in symmetrical form about the center of theclosure II and in an annular series. The material 39 may be of a relatively thin sheet of rubber ga et material, although we do not intend to be specifically limited to any particular type of material for this use as other materials which will'be appropriate for such use will occur to those skilled in the art. As shown, this sheet 39 is suitably attached as by a screw 40 to the underside of the closure l l centrally of the group of holes 85 therethrough. During the supplying of liquid to the interior of the yarn package or packages I, the

stack of cakes to admit air through the passages l3, l2 and 4.8 to prevent the creation of any substantial vacuum. During the supplying of liquid tO "the interior of the yarn packages the valve 4] will be held closed on its seat by the force of the liquid effective on the underside thereof.

. It will thus be seen that we have provided means by which may be caused to flow into the interior space within one or more annular yarn packages during the draining of treating l quid therefrom to prevent the creation of any substantial vacuum therein, whiehmight disarrange the yarn in said packages and thus tend to interfere with the subsequent unwinding thereof and/or cause other undesired effects upon the yarn. We have shown several means by which this air may be introdllfi d or permitted -to flow that these are only some of the possible means by which these results maybe attained, we do not wish to be limited except by the scope orthe .ap-

. pended claims, which are to lie-construed validly sheet 3! will bei'or'ced by the dynamic action of r the liquid to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5. However, upon the cessation of admis sion of the treating liquid and pon and during the draining thereof, which might tend to cause the creation of vacuum within the yarn packages, such vacuum will be prevented by the movement of the sheet I! to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 5. It will be lmderstood that these holes are provided of such diameter and in such number as will serve adequately to prevent the creation of any substantial vacuum. these factors being easily ascertainable by those skilled in the m In Fig. 6 there is shown another embodiment of our invention, principally'a diflerent type of check valve means for closing the air admitting aperture of the cover plate. In this figure the cover plate or closure is somewhat different from that shown at H in previous figures and is indicated at I, it being, however. supported in the same way as previously "described as indicated by the use of similarreference characters l3 and I4 for corresponding parts. The cover plate ll is provided with a passage 42 having a right angle turn therein as indicated at 43 and communicating with the atmosphere above the cover plate and with the underside thereof. Suitably secured, in a manner not particularly illustrated,

to the underside of the cover plate 4| is a memas broadly as the state of the-prior art permits.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for treating annular yarn packages with liquids, comprising means for holding an annular yarn package in a predetermined position, means for admitting a treating liquid into the interior of said annular yarn package through one end portion thereof, closure means 10: the other end portion of the interior of said yarn package for substantially'conflning the liquid against moving out said other end, thelast named means being so constructed and arranged that the liquid supplied to.the interior of the yarn package is constrained to flow outwardly therethrough, an aperture through said closure means, check valve means cooperating with said aperture for substantially preventing outflow of liquid through said .aperture during the application of liquid for treating said y rn p ckage as aforesaid, said check'valve means comprising a sheet of flexible material disposed beneath and adjacent to said closure and adapted upon and during the supplying of liquid to the interior of said yarn package to be forced by the liquid to cover and close said hole, and to flex to open a passage from said hole to the interior of said yarn package upon and during the draining of the liquid from said interior to admit air from the atmosphere to prevent the creation of any substantial vacuum within said yarn package, and thereby to prevent any ent of the yarn of said. package which might tend to interfere with the subsequent unwinding thereof.

2. Apparatus for; treating annular yarn packages with liquids, comprising means for holding an annular yarn package in a predeterminedposition, means for admitting a treating liquid into the interior of said annular yam package through one end. portion thereof, closure means for .the

assau t]v against moving out said other end,'the last named means Being so constructed and arranged that the liquid supplied to the interior of the yarn package is constrained to ilow outwardly therethroush, a plurality of holes through said closure means symmetrically disposed about the center thereof in a substantially annular series, a sheet of flexible material secured to the underside of said closure means-centrally thereof and of such size as to cover all said holes. said sheet of flex- A ible material beingso constructed and arranged that upon and during the admissionof liquid into the interior of said yarn package, said sheet will be caused to cover and prevent substantial egress of, liquid through said holes, and upon and .during the draining of said liquid from the interior of said yarn package, said sheet material will be caused to move away from said holes to permit other end portion of the interior of said yarn packase for substantially conilnin: the liquid inflow of air therethroush, to Prevent the creation of any substantial vacuum within said yarn packuse. and thereby to'prevent any disarransement of the yarn of said packaze which might tend to interfere with the subsequent unwinding thereof.

WAYNE A. MUILIGAN.

WILLIAM KERNAN.

assurances crrsn The following references are of record in the me of this patent:

. mm'mn STATESPATENTS Number Raymond v-----.-- May 30, 1944 

